Taxon Report

Penstemon clevelandii A. Gray var. mohavensis (D. D. Keck) McMinn

Mojave beardtongue

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Penstemon clevelandii var. mohavensis, commonly known as Mojave beardtongue, is a perennial herb in the Plantaginaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Mojavean desert scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 925 to 1620 meters. Penstemon clevelandii var. mohavensis is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Penstemon clevelandii A. Gray var. mohavensis (D. D. Keck) McMinn
Common Name:	Mojave beardtongue
Family:	Plantaginaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR1L1D3
USDA Plants Symbol:	PECLM2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Mar-May	Mar-May
Elevation:	925-1620 (3035-5315)
General Habitats:	Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Granitic (often), Rocky
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G5T3?
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	added to 1B.2 on 2022-11-28

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	31
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	31

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Riverside (RIV), San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Dale Lake (3411526), Fifteenmile Valley (3411741), Indian Cove (3411612), Joshua Tree North (3411623), Joshua Tree South (3411613), Queen Mtn. (3411611), Twentynine Palms (3411621)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	%

Notes




Threats:
Threatened by recreational activities (rock climbing), foot traffic, and trail maintenance. Potentially threatened by alteration of fire regimes, off-highway vehicles, renewable energy development, and mining.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed Addition to California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, G5T2 / S2 (2022)

American Midland Naturalist 18(5): 810 (1937)

Illustrated Manual of California Shrubs, p. 511 (1939) by H. McMinn

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 13 November 2025].